The Simmons Bank Open for the Snedeker Foundation has played to rave reviews the past two years – from players, caddies, fans, Korn Ferry Tour officials and the middle Tennessee community, alike. Now the tournament is being rewarded with an elevated status on the Korn Ferry Tour tournament schedule.
The 2023 dates for the Simmons Bank Open will be Sept. 14-17 at The Grove Club in College Grove, Tenn. The tournament will join the Albertsons Boise Open, the Nationwide Children's Hospital Championship in Columbus, OH and the Korn Ferry Tour Championship as KFT Finals events.
This momentous change was marked at an event yesterday in downtown Nashville.
"Through our partnership with the Tennessee Golf Foundation and with the support of Brandt and Mandy Snedeker, the Simmons Bank Open has been recognized as one of the best events on the Korn Ferry Tour and we are proud to have the tournament become a marquee event in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals," said George A. Makris, Jr., chairman and CEO of Simmons Bank. "This tournament is about more than just the game of golf. It also represents an opportunity for Simmons Bank to support the important work of the Snedeker Foundation and many other organizations in Nashville through community partnerships, service hours and philanthropic giving."
As one of the Korn Ferry Tour Finals events, all four days of the 2023 Simmons Bank Open will be televised on Golf Channel, bringing additional national exposure to the tournament. Fans and sponsors will also experience upgraded hospitality offerings on-site.
"This is great news for the Simmons Bank Open, the Snedeker Foundation and golf in Tennessee," said Whit Turnbow, the president of the Tennessee Golf Foundation, which handles Simmons Bank Open tournament operations.
"I can't explain how truly proud I am of our team, everyone at Simmons Bank, and our hosts at The Grove Club. The Tennessee Golf Foundation believes in providing opportunities, from junior golf to professional golf, for individuals from all walks of life to be successful. We look forward to showcasing that to the golf world next September."
The Simmons Bank Open continues to benefit the Snedeker Foundation, which was founded by 2012 FedExCup champion and Nashville native Brandt Snedeker and his wife, Mandy. The tournament made a $250,000 charitable contribution to the Snedeker Foundation following the 2021 tournament. The Snedeker Foundation has distributed more than $1 million to various charities in middle Tennessee during its 10 years.
"I can't say enough about the commitment Simmons Bank has made to this tournament, as well as the middle Tennessee community," said Snedeker, a 9-time winner on the PGA Tour. "With the opportunity to make the Simmons Bank Open a Korn Ferry Tour Finals event, the Simmons Bank team was the driving force to ensure it got done."
"The Snedeker Foundation, myself and Mandy are very appreciative and look forward to continuing to work with the tournament and Simmons Bank to impact the local community in a positive way."
The Simmons Bank Open supports charities beyond the Snedeker Foundation. At Wednesday's event, the Simmons First Foundation presented five $10,000 checks to charities affiliated with the tournament's inaugural Foundation Friday, which took place the Friday of tournament week. Representatives from the Jordan Thomas Foundation, KultureCity, Safe Haven Family Shelter, First Tee Tennessee and Our Kids were on-site to accept these donations to their respective organizations. An additional $10,000 was given to the Second Harvest Food Bank as a matching grant to honor the tournament's volunteers. For every volunteer during the 2022 tournament, the Tennessee Golf Foundation, Hattie B's and Simmons Bank pledged to each give $10. The tournament was supported by more than 300 volunteers.
The Korn Ferry Tour announced in August that it would go to a four-tournament Finals, each of which will have a tournament purse of $1.5 million. The Finals will have an elimination format similar to the PGA Tour's FedExCup Playoffs. The first Finals tournament will have a 156-player field, the Simmons Bank Open will have 144 players, the third event 120, and 75 will advance to the finale in late September. Thirty (30) PGA Tour cards will be awarded at the end of the Finals.
For more information on the Simmons Bank Open, please visit simmonsbankopen.com.
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